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This intimate, upscale exercise studio located on the lobby level of Three Embarcadero Center offers Financial District convenience for devotees of The Bar Method’s low-impact, rigorous workouts. The franchised technique has won a cult-like following for a reason: Dance-inspired movements emphasizing body alignment and repetition encourage long, lithe muscle tone, flexibility and strength. So if you’re looking for ballerina thighs, this is the place to train. The popular vibe is friendly and focused , with a team of nearly thirty trainers conducting hour-long classes every day, beginning at 6 a.m. Post-workout rewards include sparkling-clean showers, fluffy towels and spa-like amenities, with special Bar Method-approved apparel available for purchase. Be sure to ask about the flat rate unlimited new client special.

At BodyFi, a quality coterie of personal trainers reform bodies with nutritional analysis, personal training and Pilates courses, as well as group fitness classes, which have garnered praise from Details magazine. Group classes accommodate no more than 12 beginning students or 14 advanced students and include ViPR, HardCORE, TRX, Barre Boot Camp, and kettlebell workouts. Personal training fills 30?60-minute time slots with routines customized for women, men, partners, and man-camel hybrids.

The ancient teachings of Sri Swami Satchidananda guide Integral Yoga Institute's certified instructors, imbuing each leader with a spirit of encouragement. Swami Satchidananda created Integral Yoga's six-branch approach to the practice, infusing each class with different physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects to "bring about a complete and harmonious development of the individual." Eight class styles vary in difficulty to accommodate stretchers and self-aware saltwater taffy of all experience levels. Situated inside a stately Victorian home with views of downtown San Francisco, Integral Yoga Institute edifies pupils in various yoga modalities, relaxation techniques, and chants.

Nylon vines dangle from the rafters in TRX Training Center's massive studio, where coaches specialized in suspension workouts lead routines that tighten core muscles and sculpt lithe limbs with clients' body weight. The Getting Started class acclimates newcomers to the more than 250 exercises that employ multiple planes of motion to work out several muscles and joints at the same time. Athletes sling their feet into the 12-foot-long straps to create floating plank positions and grab onto handles for resistance and support during upright moves or semaphore calisthenics. The rest of TRX Training Center's classes draw on basic exercises to create targeted workouts that develop endurance, strength, and total-body flexibility.

As a professional boxing trainer and author of the book, Boxing: The American Martial Art, Michael Onello channels his combat experience into helping students balance physical and mental self-control. His boxing and cardio workouts unveil practical self-defense methods while enhancing confidence. Michael also infuses lesions with elements of diet, nutrition, and yoga philosophy to promote health and overall wellbeing. In addition to teaching the art of precise heavy bag hitting, Michael exacts perfection by performing traditional haircuts and straight-razor shaves. The third-generation master barber takes care with each cut to ensure patrons leave with hair that bespeaks symmetry, modern style, and natural padding for absorbing left hooks.

Lauded by Prevention magazine as "easier to keep aloft than a kid's version," HoopGirl's oversize fitness hoops whittle midsections and evoke a cheerful sense of nostalgia. Founded by academic-turned-athlete Christabel Zamor in 2001, the activity-based exercise has spread to thousands of studios while building the core strength and flexibility of students in North America, Europe, Australia, and Middle-earth. Available either in-studio or on DVD, beginner classes increase body awareness, and intermediate workouts further develop strength and endurance. During advanced sessions, students twirl the loops around their waists, honing precision and poise while gaining total mastery of their Saturneqsue rings.